Chapter 8 – Dinner – CR

Edited 4/16/20

Chapter 8

Chibs place was… Well it was a man’s place. At least there were two bedrooms and two bathrooms.  Bella thought. She wouldn’t have to share anything. Chibs had admitted he didn’t spend a lot of time there, so he didn’t have much. He told her if there was anything she wanted to add, she was more than welcome to. There was a slightly worn sofa in front a wooden coffee table and decent sized TV on a stand in the living room, a small dining table with four chairs and good looking appliances in the kitchen area. She didn’t see his bedroom, but was surprised when she walked into hers.

“I asked Gemma if she could get some things out of storage for ya. Couldn’t have ya sleepin’ on the floor” Chibs chuckled. Bella smirked and nodded. The walls and ceiling were a plain white and white lace curtains and blinds on the window across from the door. On the wall to the left of the window was a door that she assumed led to the closet. There was a double bed with a bookshelf head board on the wall next to window, a short dresser, and a night stand all in the same cherry color wood. A light blue comforter covered the bed and a pretty blue vase with wildflowers was on the night stand. Bella turned and smiled widely at Chibs. “Thanks, you have no idea what this means to me.” She had never had a real bed, a real dresser. It had always been a mattress on the floor and piles of clothes. Bella felt the tears coming quickly to her eyes. She closed them and moments later felt Chibs arms wrap around her. “Aye lass none of that now. You’ll not have to worry about a thing ever, I swear.” Bella nodded into his chest before pulling back and looking up at him. “Thanks… Dad.”

Chibs breath caught in his throat. Dad. He had heard it from Kerrianne, but it had always been grudgingly and never when that asshole Jimmy O’Phelan was around. Now he had this girl here, needing him like Kerrianne never had and he reaffirmed his commitment to her safety and well-being.  “Aye, anything for you love.” Bella could hear the tears in voice and smiled, pulling him tighter to her. Yeah, they could do this.

Bella sat on her springy bed, looking around her bedroom. She had put her meager belongings in the dresser and closet while Chibs had went out to make some phone calls. The smile she had earlier was still plastered on her face. She was just so damn happy. She had a home, a father, and security. Yeah, there were going to be tough times, it came with the biker territory. But Bella knew in her heart that her Dad would do anything to protect her. Bella turned to the door when she heard Chibs coming down the hall. “Ok, we need to head over to Gemma and Clay’s. Clay wants to discuss some things before dinner and Gemma wouldn’t mind an extra hand if you want.” Bella nodded at him, “Yeah I know how to cook some, so I can handle that.” He smiled at her “Ok then. We’ll have to take the bike though.” Bella’s smile grew even wider if possible. She had never been on a bike before and while it made her nervous, she couldn’t help the thrill than ran through her. Her nod this time was so enthusiastic that Chibs let out a huge laugh. “Alright then lass, let’s go!”

Chibs bike was beautiful. The Harley Dyna Street Bob was sleek with shiny chrome and black leather seats. There was an anarchy symbol in blue on one side of the matte black tank and a matching “S.O.A.” on the other side. She was glad to see there was a little seat behind the main seat. There was another, larger bike beside the one they were taking. Bella looked at him with question in her eyes. “That’s for the long rides. Just more comfortable. I much prefer Sheila when I’m goin’ around town.” Bella couldn’t help it, she burst into laughter. “Sheila?! Really?!” He chuckled with her. “Aye, every bike has to have a name.” When her laughter died, Chibs handed her a helmet and helped her strap it on. “Ok, few simple rules. Hold on tight, lean when I do, don’t let go.” Bella nodded as he handed her a pair of shades. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Chibs sat on the bike and cranked it up. He held his hand out to Bella and helped her on the back. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and laid her head on his back. “Good lass?” She nodded against him. “Alright, let’s ride!” He exclaimed. Chibs revved the bike and they took off. The initial pull of the bike worried Bella’s stomach, but once they were really moving, she was exhilarated! The wind whipped around her hair and clothes, dancing across her skin. It was absolutely amazing and freeing! She kept her eyes open wanting to take in everything she could about her new home. The streets were quiet, few people moving around as they made their wait to the Morrow house. She could see people turning their heads as they passed but couldn’t make out expressions.

The trip was relatively quick and after parking his bike in front of the large Morrow home, Chibs handed Bella off the bike. The smile on her face hadn’t dimmed one iota and that made her father happy beyond belief. At least I don’t have to worry about her wanting to ride when needed. They walked to the front door where Chibs opened it without knocking. Bella looked at him oddly for a moment. “Hey, like I said, we’re all family. And we were expected.” Chibs answered her look. Bella nodded and followed him through the foyer into a nicely decorated home. The walls were a warm sand color that reminded her of the Arizona desert and tastefully lined with various photos and decorations. There was a dining room immediately to her right that held a table long enough to fit the entire club and then some. It led to a living area with two large sofas, a comfortable looking recliner and a dark brown coffee table centered in front a huge flat screen. The French doors behind one of the sofas were opened to the massive backyard. She could see several men she recognized from the clubhouse standing around with beers in their hands talking and laughing.

“Bella! Thank goodness you’re here!” Bella turned towards the archway that led to the kitchen. Gemma stood there, a spoon in one hand the other on her hip. She knew the Queen of Charming was a tough bitch, so it was amusing to see her in such a domesticated stance. “Come help me. These men are useless in the kitchen. Hopefully you can do some of the basic stuff at least.” Gemma turned back into the kitchen and Bella raised her wide eyes to Chibs. He chuckled at her, “Yeah, I know, she’s a bit much. Don’t take no shite from her lass. Do what you can and don’t be afraid if there’s something you can’t do.” Bella straightened her spine and nodded at her father before turning sharply and making her way to the kitchen. Chibs shook his head, smiling in thought. I don’t think Gemma is fully aware of what she’s getting into with her! He turned to patio and joined the men to discuss business.

Bella entered the kitchen expecting a mess. She was pleasantly surprised at the state of the kitchen. She was used to dilapidated appliances, bare cupboards, and chipped Formica counter tops. Honestly, Bella should have expected more than that from Gemma Morrow, especially considering the state of the clubhouse. The walnut colored cupboards were clean and shiny, the black marble counter tops glistened in cleanliness. Spread across the counter were various ingredients for a spaghetti dinner. “Be a doll and start on that salad,” Gemma ordered. Bella made her way over to the counter and saw the simple lettuce, tomato, and carrots on the counter. Thinking for a moment, she turned towards the fridge and opened the double stainless steel doors. Checking the vegetable drawer, she pulled out a cucumber, some celery, and an avocado. Gemma was watching the young woman out of the corner of her eye. She had been impressed when the young woman had stood up for herself at the airport and pleased to see her making herself comfortable.

Bella returned to the counter and began her chopping, being extra careful with the knife in her hand. It would not do for her clumsiness to make itself known and for her to wind up in the ER her first night in her new home. Once the lettuce was done, she diced the tomato, avocado, sliced up the celery and cucumber, and shaved the carrot into the large bowl. Before she mixed it, she began looking around the kitchen for dressing ingredients. Spotting the bottle of apple cider vinegar, she got an idea. “Do you have some honey, olive oil, basil, and garlic?” She asked the older woman. Gemma turned from the stove top, leaving the sauce to simmer for a bit and raised an eyebrow at the woman. Bella blushed a little before she said “We once lived next door to an Italian lady. She loved making her own dressings and I helped her while my mother……” Bella paused and took a deep breath. No reason to beat around the bush anymore. She wasn’t going anywhere. “While my mother was off with whatever dick she was playing with at the moment. I remember one of my favorite dressings and I think it would go nicely on the salad.” Gemma nodded, the look on her face unreadable, before gathering the requested items. Bella beamed at her before setting about mixing the ingredients and dumping the dressing on the salad. She tossed it carefully, making sure everything was properly coated before taking her utensils to the sink to rinse and put in the dishwasher.

“What else can I do?” Bella asked. Gemma gave the sauce and noodles a stir before checking the bread in the oven. “Come grab this bread and slice it. There’s a basket over there,” she pointed towards the opposite counter. “Then call the boys to have someone set the table. This is just about ready.” Bella nodded and grabbed the oven mitts, pulling the bread out of the oven and setting it on the counter. She pulled the basket over to her and carefully sliced the bread and put the slices in the basket. Then she walked to the back patio doors and hesitated for a moment. While her first impression of the guys had been nice, they were still an intimidating bunch. No, you are not pussing out. You can handle this. You’re just asking for someone to set the table on Gemma’s orders. Bella nodded to herself and made her way towards Clay. The older man raised his eyes to her and quirked his mouth around the massive cigar that seemed to be surgically implanted on his lips. “Gemma said dinner’s almost ready. She needs someone to set the table.” Clay nodded and glanced around the men. They obviously were not volunteering, especially knowing how anal retentive when it came to place settings. “I got it.” Bella turned to the voice and stared straight into the deep brown eyes of a very, very tall man. He had long hair, a long beard, and she quickly noted several tattoos on his body. She also noted that he was the only one standing out there without a kutte on. While his height was intimidating, his eyes were kind and his demeanor soft. Bella smiled up at the man, “I don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m Bella, Chibs daughter.” The giant smiled, “Opie” and he turned heading into the house to get things together. Bella watched the man make his way into the kitchen, immediately intrigued by him.

Bella was pulled from her thoughts by the laughter coming from the yard. There were two kids running around with bubble wands. The girl looked about 10 or 11, the boy looked about 6. “Ellie, no fair blowing bubbles in my face!” the boy hollered at his sister. “Well stop running into them, twerp!” She laughingly replied. There was a chorus of laughter from the men surrounding her. “That’s Ellie and Kenny, Opie’s kids. Good to see them laughing a bit more now.” Bella raised her eyebrow at Chibs and he answered her unasked question. “Their ma ran off a couple of months ago. No note, no nothin’. We got one call at the garage a week later saying she was fine, that she couldn’t handle the Life anymore. Said she didn’t want to be trapped by her kids and to not look for her.” Bella frowned in disbelief. What was it with the women around here mistreating their kids? First it was the suspicion of Wendy using drugs while pregnant, now Opie’s wife running off. “Ope managed to get a no contest divorce and custody so even if she changes her mind, there’s nothing she can do to get them back. He’s been rough these past couple months, that’s why we invited him to dinner. Get him out the damn house and back to living.” Bella nodded her head at her father and watched the kids a bit more before turning at Gemma’s yell of “Dinner’s ready!”

Bella was hesitating at the table while the men sat down. She wound up in the chair with Chibs on her left and Opie on her right. Clay was at the head of the table with Gemma on his right, the chair on the left empty. Tig was next to Gemma followed by Bobby, Kenny, Ellie, and Piney sat on the end of the table. Juice was on Opie’s other side. She was just beginning to wonder about the extra seat when the question was answered by the slamming of the front door. “Jackson Nathaniel Teller, how many times do I have to tell you not to slam the damn door?!” The man in question came around the corner, smirk firmly planted on his lips. “Sorry ma. Had to finish that damn Prius. Want it off the lot as soon as fu….freaking possible.” Bella had to hold in the giggle as she realized he caught himself after seeing the kids there. He went to the kitchen to wash his hands and returned to the table. Once seated, the serving and talking began.

When Bella’s took her first bite of spaghetti, she couldn’t help closing her eyes or the small moan that escaped her mouth. Good Lord, this is an orgasm of the mouth! She opened her eyes, cheeks immediately flushing red. Several pairs of eyes, including Jax and Opie had turned to her. “Glad you approve sweetheart, but try to keep the moans to the bedroom.” Gemma said, smirking at the young lady. Bella dropped her head a bit before looking back up and returning the smirk. “You’ll have to forgive me, I don’t think I’ve ever had something so delicious in my life. The staple in our living quarters were pop-tarts, cereal, and macaroni and cheese.” Eyes widened around the table. “Well, we’ll have to fix that!” Bobby said. “Everyone should know how to at least bake a muffin.” Bella laughed and nodded. “I definitely don’t mind lessons. Besides, isn’t the way to man’s heart is through his stomach?” The table burst into laughter, minus Chibs who just raised an eyebrow muttering something about “Don’t even need to be thinking about gettin’ to no man’s heart anytime soon.” Bella smiled and continued eating.

The conversation around the table picked up a bit and Bella soon lost herself in just listening. Jax was talking to Gemma about getting his house ready for the impending birth of his son. Clay was giving Tig a hard time about some Mexican women that worked at one the warehouses (though she had no idea what was stored there). Kenny was telling Piney (who had finally introduced himself when Kenny had tackled his grandpa) about their plans for the next few days. Opie and Juice were talking car parts. Bella noticed Ellie sitting quietly across from her, picking at her food. Bella smiled at the girl. “Are they always like this?” she asked the girl. Ellie raised her head, eyes wide at the fact that someone was talking to her. She nodded “Yeah pretty much. Kinda lonely being the only girl besides Gemma.” She lowered her head again. Bella kept the smile on her face. “Well, we’ll just have to remind them we’re here” she said before starting a conversation with the girl about her upcoming school year and how excited she was to finally be in the fifth grade and at the top of the school food chain.

“Gemma, what the hell did you do to this salad?” Bella froze in the middle of her conversation at Clay’s gruff voice. Oh shit, he doesn’t like it! Bella’s mind began to think of excuses and escape routes before Clay spoke again. “This is the best shi….salad I’ve had in a long time. And you know I don’t eat this rabbit food.” Bella breathed a huge sigh of relief. Gemma smiled at the young woman. “Well, you have Bella to thank for that. Apparently she had one good teacher and she added the extra stuff and made the dressing.” Everyone turned to Bella who ducked her head, blushing beet red. “No problem.” She mumbled. Conversation resumed and Bella picked up her fork to continue her meal when she felt a nudge on her right arm. “It really is good. Hell, Kenny’s eating it and I can never get him to eat vegetables.” The deep rumble of Opie’s quiet voice sent a shiver down Bella’s spine. She glanced at the boy sitting next to his sister and smiled. He had just put the last bite of salad in his mouth and was asking his grandpa if he could have some more. When she looked up at Opie her smile widened. He was looking at her a small half smile on his face. “Thank you, I’m glad everyone likes it. It really wasn’t much.” Opie nodded at her before turning back to Juice to finish their debate on which brand of carburetor was better.

The night was drawing to a close as the adults sat around the living area drinking coffee or beer. Bella was sat between Chibs and Jax with her head leaning on her father’s shoulder. They were talking about things Jax and Opie got into as kids, bursting into laughter at the most embarrassing stories. Opie was on the floor finishing a game of Uno with his kids, laughing along with his brothers. It was the perfect evening in Bella’s eyes. Though she had just met these people, she felt more at home in the last few hours than in the past 18 years. She smiled up at her father, once again thankful for the chance at a new beginning.